A Loud Spoiled Child
by ilyawh
Summary: Lucrezia/Alfonso of Naples. She had heard many stories about him, but none truly described him properly.
1. Chapter 1

_For about a year, I was under the impression that Alfonso of Naples was what The Borgias producers had in mind for Lucrezia's second husband. I watched them build him as a character, I imagined how his pairing with Lucrezia worked and I eagerly anticipated season 2 and all of that happening. Episode 1 disappointed me fiercely but I accepted it._

_Then, yesterday, I read the most wonderful fic in the Universe – She Lied About Death by Snappleducated and it was so much in tune with what I was waiting that I read it five times. In a desperate need to create more of that, I wrote this. If by any chance that story starts inspiring me and I may use something from it, I apologize in advance for the plagiarism – it is just so good that for me it's almost canon. _

_I will try to fit Alfonso's on screen character with what I know of Alfonso of Aragon and their marriage, but obviously this will not be canon with history or The Borgias._

_Please don't sue, I don't own the stories that inspire me, whether fanfiction or series._

_/  
_

She had heard many stories about him, but none truly described him properly, she thought. He had a fierce reputation – had infested his own city with plague, dined frequently in a hall filled with corpses and tortured more people than many could count. Juan had said he was "odd", without saying much of it. The Pope just mentioned that he would make a good husband, comes from an extremely good family, is connected with pretty much every monarch in Europe and it is just such a great opportunity that they can't miss it.

She had stomped, cried, shouted, protested, and even refused to eat for a few days. Nothing worked. She was to be used as a pawn again in her father's political alliances, married off to some brute who does not give a rat's behind about anyone, just because he has "good connections". She refused to see him the day he arrived in Rome and a few days after that. But in the end even her mother, who had stood by her through all that, said that at that point – with the wedding planned and all – there was not much any of them could do anymore.

The first time she saw him, he was in the palace gardens, eating an apple and talking to Sancia. She understood from the first second what Juan found odd about him: the way he ate his apple, loudly, exaggeratedly chewing on the slices; the way he talked to his sister, even louder, with his mouth full, laughing a shrieking laugh without having finished eating. He looked like a spoilt child who did his best to annoy everyone around him, knowing full well that no-one would ever do anything about it.

But then Sancia left and he remained alone (or so he thought) and suddenly his chewing was natural, his face was serious and he quietly sat down on a bench, looking completely normal. Her curiosity was now piqued and she couldn't stop looking at him, waiting for a move that wasn't coming. She studied his dark hair, his young face – sitting there like that he almost looked… handsome.

Ten minutes later, his boyish voice broke the silence.

"Whatever you're looking for, the answer will not come unless you ask the question."

She was so startled at first that she didn't realize that he was talking to her until suddenly her eyes were staring in her direction and his expression became one of mockery.

She felt embarrassed for being caught, despite being pretty well hidden in the shadow of a shrub. She threw him an annoyed look, came out of her hiding and, without saying a word, headed for the door, trying to look as dignified as possible.

"This doesn't make for a good premise for our conjugal bliss, Signorina Lucrezia. Communication is the key to a good matrimony – or so my older and wiser councilors kept on telling me on the way here."

She felt herself blushing violently.

"I apologize for disturbing your solitude, Signor Alfonso. I promise that during our union, I will attempt to keep out of the way."

"Considering I just complained about lack of communication, I am not sure that would be the best approach." His expression became exaggeratedly pensive, a hand under his chin and a lifted brow emphasizing it. "But then again, you have more experience than me in such matters; I suppose I should bow to your knowledge."

How ungallant of him to talk about her previous marriage!

"I do not claim to be knowledgeable of anything, milord. I am merely a poor woman. If you wish me to communicate with you, I will of course obey you." She was pretty sure her tight smile gave way to her annoyance and his amused smile was not really helping her good mood.

"I am sure you will make a perfectly obedient wife, Signorina. Ever since I arrived here everyone sings your praises. I have been dying of curiosity to meet the most beautiful woman of Christendom."

"I am happy to satisfy your curiosity, Signor" Lucrezia bowed while biting the inside of her lips. "I only aim to please."

Alfonso chuckled loudly and bowed back.

"I am happy to inform you Signorina that I am more than pleased and I expect to remain so for the duration of our marriage."

Afraid that one of the millions of sarcastic retorts flying through her head might actually come out, she gave another tight smile and left.

The most annoying part was that as soon as she entered the building she felt a genuine smile making its way.

_/_

She refused to see him until the wedding.

On the wedding day she presented herself at the church, walked down the aisle and mumbled her vows, so that everyone can see that she was not pleased. Alfonso, in contrast, shouted his vows loudly and over-enthusiastically for the whole church to see and planted a noisy and sloppy kiss on her lips at the end. It went even worse at the after-party where he told the servants to keep the wine coming (she stopped counting at the third bottle), burped loudly at the end and then laughed even louder.

He invited her to dance and she tried hard to play the part of a dignified wife, dancing with elegance while he was enthusiastically jumping up and down, sometimes getting too close, and other times going too far for her to complete the dance.

By the time she reached the chamber where they were to spend the wedding night, Lucrezia was not in the mood to play demure, obedient wife. She sat down on the bed, huffing, while he entered just as loudly as he had been all evening.

"My precious, enchanting wife! What a lovely sight, your golden locks, your beautiful eyes, your tempting lips! How I shall ever keep away from the marriage bed, I do not know."

She felt annoyed at the fact that a large part of her was amused by him.

"My darling husband, I am immensely happy that I please you. I live for nothing else in this world."

He couldn't have missed the sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, in that case, ours will be a happy marriage indeed, Signora. I must remember to thank the Lord for blessing me with such a wife. I am sure your father will know to advise me on how to do that."

Lucrezia could not think of anything to add to that. Alfonso looked at her for a second and then sat down on the bed.

"Now, my dear wife, I must admit to being slightly anxious about this night. For, as you are my first wife and, I hear, I am to be your first _real_ husband, I am afraid neither of us will quite know what to do."

There was a playful glint in his eyes and she knew for certain that he was aware that her marriage to Giovanni Sforza had been real enough. She also was pretty sure that Giovanni was not a secret to him – despite the fact that he was being well hidden in the Pope's palace.

"I am sure we will manage, milord. With a happy marriage such as ours, God will lead the way."

He broke into an infectious laughter and, for the first time she actually felt that he was genuinely entertained by her words. She herself felt flattered by that and could not help the equally genuine smile from appearing on her face.

And then his lips were on hers and she stopped thinking. A rushed process followed where clothes were discarded and hands roamed around their bodies in a frenzy that could not be stopped. Her last conscious thought was the surprise of realizing she actually enjoyed his passion – so different from Giovanni Sforza's violence or Paolo's patience. Alfonso was in bed as loud and as frantic as he was in the ballroom, but in this case it had a considerably better effect. And despite his rush, he somehow managed in the process to touch all the right spots, and lift her up there with him.

"My darling wife, considering your relation to God, I don't know why I ever doubted this." Alfonso said, panting, and his smirk was back in place.

He was back to being a loud spoiled child, but for the first time Lucrezia admitted to herself that he wasn't really that bad.


	2. Chapter 2

"How do you find him?"

Cesare's voice surprised her – she was sitting in the living room, watching from afar as Alfonso discussed with the Pope details on how to take Naples by storm. After King Charles left to lick his wounds, a French garrison had remained to maintain the French claim. It was why legitimate, related-to-pretty-much-everyone, good-blooded Alfonso had married her after all. Her dowry would pay his army and then his rebuilding of Naples.

"Different than I expected." She said with a small smile. Cesare seemed intrigued by that.

"You like him."

"I could." She kept her eyes on Alfonso and the small smile on her face.

"He has a fierce reputation."

"You and I both know, Cesare, that the reputation does not always rely on fact. Besides, I think it was built that way on purpose."

"What do you mean?"

"King Ferrante was a feared king and managed to maintain order. My guess is that Alfonso learned that that is the best way to go about maintaining your kingdom, but I do not think he is naturally inclined to make himself feared."

Cesare paused for a few moments.

"I take it he was good to you."

Lucrezia chuckled. She and Cesare had always been closer than any other siblings she met, but she was not yet comfortable discussing all aspects of marriage with him. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I think he is a great improvement over the first husband that was thrown at me."

"What about Paolo?"

"What about him?"

"Is Alfonso a great improvement over him?"

That was indeed a question that Lucrezia had already asked herself.

"He is… different."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"I do not know yet."

/

He made a habit of coming to her every night.

"Do I disturb you, Signora?" he commented one evening when he came slightly earlier than usual and found her reading.

"Milord, I am honored by your presence each time you make an appearance. I am delighted that you choose to visit us each evening. You could never disturb me" she said, placing the book aside and rising to walk towards him.

"Yes, well, I am hoping you are fertile enough to be with child soon. I am not very keen on anyone thinking I am impotent."

His continuous jabs at her first marriage had annoyed her at first but she had soon grown used to them. She herself was inclined to make fun of Giovanni Sforza, now that she didn't have to see him every day.

"I think it is fairly obvious that you are not, milord." She smiled a seductive smile and he smirked.

"With your permission, I would like to get the child part out of the way before ruling on that."

She watched as he patiently took out his day clothes and carefully placed them on the chair near the bed. Left in his undershirt and pants, he turned towards her with his trademark smirk on the lips.

"One cannot help but thank the Lord when faced with an obedient wife such as yourself, milady. Your patience during the more tedious aspects of marriage is so grand, one might actually think you enjoy yourself."

She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips and almost let out another one at the fleeting surprise that showed on his face, before settling again on that annoying but somewhat charming smirk.

Alfonso came closer and slowly started undoing her dress. It was something she noticed he liked so she made a habit of staying fully dressed while waiting for him. Her breath became heavier in anticipation. He carefully avoided any contact between his skin and hers.

"It is my duty as a wife to enjoy all aspects of marriage, milord." She whispered.

Her dress had now reached the floor and she tried to stay still while he studied her head to toe.

His hand started slowly touching the skin of her neck and then rose to her cheek.

"Yes, well, no-one can say of us that we do not do our duty in this marriage. All efforts are being made towards the birth of the long-awaited heir…"

By this time his lips were so close to her ear, she could feel his breath. Though seemingly more in control than her, the long seconds between even longer breaths were giving him away.

She enjoyed this game he was playing every night, where they were both just striving for an heir and she was just the dutiful, obedient wife – neither of them truly saying outright that they enjoyed each other's company despite it being quite obvious.

"I can assure you, milord… My desire… for an heir… is as great as yours."

/

"My dear wife, I do believe we have spent the entire night fornicating." Alfonso declared when the rays of light first entered the room.

"My dear husband, I do not believe it is called fornicating if we are married."

"Quite right you are, wife, quite right." He released his typical shrieking laughter that ended up making her giggle in return.

"Alas" he sighed "I shall have to return to the business of the day."

"Milord, you must rest. Surely the business may wait."

Alfonso turned towards her, for once wearing a smile instead of a smirk.

"You did not seem so worried about my rest the night before."

"I apologize for that, milord. I was merely trying to be a good wife by… ensuring an heir is provided."

"Yes, we do appreciate your magnificent efforts on that front, do not think we don't" Alfonso yawned and his eyes closed slowly. "I suppose one hour of sleep will not hurt" he mumbled.

Only seconds later his breathing showed that he was already sleeping.

Lucrezia watched him with a smile. His boyish face became even younger when sleeping – he finally looked relaxed and at peace.

_This is quite unexpected_, she mused to herself. _I do believe I like my husband._

_/_

They were late for the brunch with the Pope.

Alfonso opened the door for her with an exaggerated bow and it was all she could do to prevent herself from giggling. Forcing herself to be serious, she sat at the table, perfectly aware that her father, her two brothers and her sister in law were all looking in her direction.

"I apologize for the delay, Holy Father." Alfonso stated in a grave voice. "My wife and I had matters of great importance to discuss."

She saw her father's eyebrow rise and quickly lowered her eyes on her plate.

"Well, whatever it was, I do hope it was quickly resolved." The Pope muttered.

"Quickly indeed."Alfonso spoke while sipping from a glass of wine. Lucrezia bowed her head lower trying hard to block a smile. "I can assure you, Holy Father, I myself am in favor of… quick resolutions." Alfonso continued. "I like to think of myself as quite efficient in getting things done… quickly."

By this time, it was all hopeless. She was laughing a silent laughter and it soon became obvious that she couldn't hide it anymore.

Everyone's eyes were on her. Sancia and Gioffre were amused, while the Pope and Cesare frowned in curiosity. Alfonso casually sipped another bit of wine with his smirk in place.

"I am sorry, father…" she managed to say between the giggles. She openly broke into a loud laughter soon after that. Tears sprung out of her eyes from the intensity of her fit.

"You must forgive my wife, Holy Father. My great efficiency in resolving matters… quickly, has impressed her such that it brought her to tears."

"Yes, well, maybe in the future, you will try… discussing matters at more appropriate times." Cesare noted gravely and Lucrezia finally stopped laughing, sensing his annoyance.

"I am afraid, my dear brother, that this matter simply could not wait" Alfonso said nonchalantly, with a very serene look upon his face.

Cesare opened his mouth to respond but a somewhat conflicted Pope intervened:

"We understand that, when two people marry, priorities change. Obviously, our brunch cannot be held in such importance as a… matter between spouses. But, now that you are here, let us enjoy it."

"Hear, hear" Alfonso said cheerfully and lifted his glass to Cesare, who merely frowned and resumed his eating.


	3. Chapter 3

She realized she had gotten too used to him on their last night together before he marched off to war.

The plan was simple. Cesare was marching North with his troops, distracting the Sforzas and their allies. Alfonso was marching towards the South, taking care of the French garrison in Naples and conquering back his throne.

She had a feeling of dread all day and in the end she got tired of following him around while he was talking to his councilors and drawing up plans so she retreated to her chambers and took a long bath to try to take her mind away from the fact that the husband she hadn't wanted but ended up liking a little too much was now off to war, leaving her alone for God knows how long.

She heard her room's door open forcefully and knew it was him from the start. She heard his steps closer and closer until he was in her bath's door.

"Ah, my dear wife, there you were. I was beginning to think I lost you."

"Forgive me, my husband. I am but a poor woman, you cannot expect of me to enjoy all this talk of war and battles."

"I am a man and I do not enjoy it either." He rolled his eyes and then headed towards her tub. Without a second thought, he took out his shoes and then his clothes and unceremoniously got in. The whole process took less than a minute and happened before Lucrezia had time to process what he was doing.

"However, since I am to be the king of Naples once the war is over, I suppose I should participate." He scoffed.

All she could think about was how she liked that he didn't feel at all uncomfortable sitting naked in a bathtub with her – equally naked.

"But, enough about me." He said waving his right hand dramatically while his feet comfortably settled around hers. "Whatever will you do without me while I am gone?"

"Why, I shall mope around and pray for your safe return, of course." She said with a smile on her face, yet fearing that it was too close to the truth for her liking.

He smirked and sunk his hands in the water. She gasped when she felt his fingers on her toes, slowly massaging them.

"I am sure your father will know how to keep you busy with balls and activities and such."

"I am a married woman now – I cannot enjoy such trifles without my husband." Lucrezia replied, keeping the light tone of the conversation, despite all her strength being focused in her toes.

"I shall be flattered to know you are not enjoying your time without me, my wife. However, balls and activities do serve their purpose. Most wars and most peace treaties start there." He looked at her significantly while his fingers moved on to massaging her heels.

He was seeking an ally.

"I will do my best to serve your interests, milord." She grinned, thrilled at the opportunity of being more than just a daughter, a wife, a mother.

His hands made a bold move towards her knee and she gasped again as his fingers reached the inner knee area.

"I have every confidence that you will, my darling wife." The words were spoken in rhythm with his fingers that were slowly climbing on her feet while his body moved forward, equally slow.

_I will miss you_, every inch of her body cried. But he had never said affectionate words to her on a serious tone, and she did not feel like being the first to cross that threshold.

"Do you think we managed to conceive?" He whispered as his body positioned itself on top of hers in a torturous, slow move.

"I do not know, milord. We might want to try again, just in case." She said, breathlessly.

/

She couldn't sleep all night and spent most of the time watching him as the moonlight was caressing his soft features.

She noticed as he started to come back to life and his eyes opened in a lazy move.

"Good morning, husband." She whispered. His eyes widened in surprise and then a serious look took hold of his face.

Alfonso's hand reached out towards her cheek and carefully touched her.

"I must admit, my dear wife, I am rather anxious that I shall be a little lonely alone in a bed."

That was as much of an "I will miss you" that she was going to get and she accepted it with a gracious smile.

"I will eagerly await for us to reunite, milord."

/

She walked with him towards the exit, carefully holding his arm. She tried her best to look dignified and at peace, but she wasn't sure in regards to the quality of the job she was doing.

Alfonso kneeled before the Pope, getting his blessing. Then he turned to hug his sister who wished him luck. Gioffre and Cesare also wished him luck and Cesare assured him that he and his troops would also be leaving in the afternoon. All in all, a cordial good bye from everyone. Lucrezia had never seen him so serious – and she was pretty sure not many other people did either.

He turned towards her and smiled:

"Well, my dear wife, will you not wish me luck?"

"My dear husband, you do not need luck – for I am certain that you are more than capable to do without it. But I wish it all the same."

She did her best to convey that she meant it. She had spent the last few weeks liking him more and more and, despite the fact that she hadn't managed to get him to lower down his walls and let her see what lied beneath them, she noticed how efficiently he handled his business (his smirks and mockery were unbelievably effective) and how somehow he never missed any relevant detail when doing that. He was no man of war, but he was clever enough to have capable people of war around him – and that was just as well.

For once, he seemed at a loss for words and she thought she noticed a few red spots appearing on his face. He masked that well by quickly getting near her and lightly touching her cheeks with his lips. He softly whispered:

"We appreciate your confidence, Signora. I shall send for you when it is done."

/

Cesare left a few hours later and Lucrezia did her best to show him out with the same consideration. However she could not help thinking of Alfonso.

"Well, sister, I am going now." Cesare hugged her. "I am happy to go knowing that you are finally blissfully married."

"Thank you, Cesare. I wish you all the luck in the world."

"You think I need it?" He asked with a smile.

"You do not need it either, but I wish it all the same." Lucrezia answered.

/

Her mother joined her in her chambers an hour later.

"I hear rumors that you are quite on good terms with your husband". Vanozza smiled knowingly.

Lucrezia finally allowed herself to speak truly.

"It is quite unexpected, mother. I never thought this was the kind of man to touch my heart, but it somehow works."

"He is handsome. Although I must admit I did not think you would like his personality. Most people don't seem to."

"That is the wonder, mother. He is not truly like that. I do not know yet why he acts that way and I have yet to see all that lies behind that act, but it is quite obvious to me that it is an act that he has developed through the years, for reasons he only knows."

"And you believe a good man lies beneath the snobbish attitude and fearful rumors?"

"Yes, mother."

"How do you know?"

Lucrezia blushed but felt the need to reply.

"My first husband was all proper and prim in public but in the more… private moments… he was rather violent in approach. The prince of Naples is the exact opposite. I tend to think that it is in the more… unguarded moments that we can truly know what a person is like."

Vanozza's face reflected a pleased smile as they hugged.


	4. Chapter 4

_Wife,_

_I am just writing you to let you know that we have reached the walls of Naples. The French are more dead than alive, so I don't expect this to last long._

_I was informed that your brother is equally successful in the Northern parts and that king Louis has yet to raise an army to get here._

_Prepare yourself to be queen within the month._

_Your husband,_

_Alfonso of Naples_

_/_

_My dear sister,_

_It is evening in Forli and the armies are now quiet. The siege is going as planned – although I am surprised that I have yet to see the armies of the Duke of Milan. I know the new king of France is still busy taking over his kingdom and will probably not become a threat until much later, but the force of the Sforzas should not be underestimated._

_I hear from my men in the South that the French are not really being much of an opposition in Naples so I expect your husband should not have much trouble in conquering back his throne. I am happy for you, my sister – if anyone deserves to be queen, it is you._

_I have read that your husband's cousin, Carlotta, is to visit you. Please let me know what you think of her – father revealed that she would be a great candidate for a wife._

_I have not yet received a letter for you – I long for our talks and I cannot wait for us to meet again._

_Please keep me informed of what is happening in Rome._

_Yours,_

_Cesare_

_/_

_My dearest brother,_

_I am glad to hear all is going well in the North. Alfonso also wrote to tell me that he expects to be king again within the month which is, I think, more optimistic than we ever dared to hope. The thought of being queen does not matter as much to me as you may think, but it is his legacy and he deserves it back. I hope to be worthy of being his spouse._

_Rome is very quiet – I occasionally participate in Father's gatherings, but I must admit they are not as entertaining as they used to be. Father does not throw many of them either – since he says they are not appropriate in times of war. Giulia keeps me company and I also entertain myself with Gioffre and Sancia on occasion – but you know me and Gioffre were never on the same page and Sancia has other things on her mind._

_I look forward to being reunited with my husband and with you. In the meantime, we are expecting his cousin, Carlotta, to join us in a few days' time. I am a little anxious to meet her – I hear she is nothing like Sancia and Alfonso, but rather she has a reputation for being very formal._

_Please let me know how everything goes._

_Your loving sister,_

_Lucrezia_

_/_

_Husband,_

_I am delighted to hear that things are going well for you in Naples. I knew from the start that the French were no match for your determination – but even I dared not hope things would go so well._

_I am constantly trying to be in knowledge of all news that reach Rome so that I can always know where you are. Father says your army is in good spirits and that his captains in the army are happy to be fighting for you. _

_We received an embassy from the new French king, Louis. He wishes to marry king Charles' widow, so that they can keep Brittany tied with France. I do not think he will dare bring an army to Italy until that matter is resolved – so there is no danger for you._

_I am looking forward to meeting your cousin, Carlotta. She is to arrive tomorrow. We went to great lengths to make sure she is comfortable and I am hoping she will be pleased. _

_I know that you are busy with the fighting, but I am still waiting anxiously for any word from you._

_Looking forward to seeing you again._

_Your wife,_

_Lucrezia_

_/_

For all the fuss they had made of it, it took Lucrezia quite a while to figure out she was with child.

At first she figured that her sudden mood to eat constantly was a way to fill the now too empty days. And since she was eating as she was, getting sick was not really out of the question. The weight she had gained was also a consequence of that – or so she thought. She realized the truth one morning when she made a small calculation to discover that she had not had her bleeding in months.

For all the fuss they had made of it, Lucrezia found herself to be a little disappointed – it had been a little too easy.

/

_My beloved sister,_

_Caterina Sforza is one stubborn woman, I can tell you that. Forli is a strong fortress and nothing short of treachery can get me in there until their food runs out. I have yet to find a subterfuge. My spies are informing me that Ludovico Sforza is on his way with an army, so there will be a battle soon. I will keep you informed on the outcome of that._

_I understand Carlotta of Naples has been staying in Rome for the past weeks. I would be curious to know what you think of her. Father sings her praises in his letters – but then again, he would do so no matter what she was like, since she is of good lineage and that is all he really is concerned with. _

_I am dying to read your letters – but they are rare and not containing as much information as I hoped. You need to know that your letters are what keep me sane, sister. Please take a little time to write your poor brother._

_Yours,_

_Cesare_

_/_

_My dear Cesare,_

_I am sorry for not writing you sooner. _

_You are right, Carlotta is staying with us – and her stay is keeping us all busy. I must say, the rumors are true: she is nothing like Alfonso or Sancia. She is, of course, very polite, and her education shows at all times – but I do not find her to be very friendly and sticking up to protocol around her does tend to eliminate any hint of entertainment. She is very beautiful (I have yet to meet someone in their family whose looks are not an asset) so you would probably like her, but I am not sure her personality is just what you need in a wife. _

_Outside of this, Rome is still a very dull place to be in at the moment._

_I have not received letters from Alfonso in a while, but my father's captains write frequently. I hear he is not assaulting the castle – I think it is because he does not want to injure his own people – although Father is urging him to do so. I think I agree with him on this, after all, once he is king it might be hard to find favor with his people after the carnage that an assault will undoubtedly bring._

_Please be careful in battle. I know that you are a very capable man, but you have yet to have much experience as a soldier and I worry that being caught between the citadel of Forli and Duke Sforza's armies may not be the best way to start. Remember that, at least now, the purpose is not to conquer Forli, but to keep the Sforzas occupied so that Alfonso can conquer Naples in peace._

_Your sister,_

_Lucrezia_

_/_

_Husband,_

_I hope you are well – Father's captains write with much optimism and are certain that Naples is to give in soon._

_I have been spending time with your cousin Carlotta. Father is hopeful that our families can be brought even closer together by arranging a union between her and my brother, Cesare. I would be curious to know your opinion on the matter._

_The French embassy is still here, trying their best to convince Father to grant their King a divorce from his first wife and a dispensation to marry the Duchess of Brittanny. He is careful not to refuse them outright, but I know that he will not offer any type of reply until you are safe on your throne. However, since there are only so many types of avoidance one can perform, he asks me to let you know that the sooner you conquer your throne, the better it will be._

_Looking forward to hearing from you._

_Your wife,_

_Lucrezia_

/

_Wife,_

_The siege has kept me busy for an extended period of time, but now I am at liberty to inform you that you are now Queen of Naples. The French have given in – they were not in the best of health and the people in the city did not regard them favorably. _

_The entrance was magnificent and I am sure you would have enjoyed it. _

_Please let me know when you are able to join me so that you can take over your duties in Naples._

_In regards to my cousin, I will of course not oppose a union between her and our dear brother, Cesare. However, me and Carlotta have never been on the best of terms and the weight of my opinion in the matter is rather small. The decision will lie in her hands as well as in the hands of my uncle._

_Looking forward to your arrival._

_Your husband,_

_Alfonso of Naples_


	5. Chapter 5

The sense of giddiness that took over while approaching Naples was scaring her a little. She didn't remember ever feeling this way – even Paolo had inspired only tenderness, but never nervousness.

The citadel looked beautiful from the nearby hills and she asked the carriage to stop for a minute to admire it (and to settle her nerves).

"You must be anxious to see your husband, cousin" Carlotta spoke from next to her.

"I am a little curious about my new home" Lucrezia said politely.

"Yes, you are to be queen of Naples. That is something"

She didn't really care about the title, but she did admit to being nervous about that too.

"Yes, it is" she murmured absently.

/

The giddy feeling only got worse and worse by the time she entered the palace. As they entered the throne room, they found Alfonso sitting casually on his throne, chewing some fruits. The smile on her face was something she simply could not stop, no matter how hard she tried and she noticed the corners of his mouth twitching up between settling on that all-too-familiar smirk.

"My dear wife. Finally you have arrived. Welcome to Naples." He rose and approached while she bowed. "I hope you had a pleasant journey."

"The thought of finally seeing you again has made the journey pleasant, my dear husband."

He grinned, although the somewhat sarcastic look did not leave his face.

"We are happy to have you here. Hello, cousin Carlotta." He greeted casually.

"Prince Alfonso…" Carlotta bowed.

"Let us get you both settled in, then. You!" He raised his voice towards a page standing at the entrance. "Lead my cousin into the South wing, where she usually spends her visits."

"That is most kind of you, cousin."

Alfonso just nodded and then turned back towards Lucrezia.

"Signora, please follow me."

/

The royal apartments were facing West, with the windows turning towards the sea. The evening light was gently offering the room the appearance of a fairytale castle chamber and Lucrezia felt enchanted.

"These are to be our quarters. Are you pleased?" Alfonso's voice interrupted her train of thoughts. She turned towards him and smiled happily.

"I will take that as a yes." He smiled back and then the look in his eyes changed and her heart instantly sped up its rhythm.

"You have been through a tiresome journey. Will you be requiring rest?"

As he slowly approached her, all the retorts Lucrezia had, stopped in her throat and she bit her lower lip.

"I would like to lie down… a little…" She managed to whisper.

There was no mood for games, this time. She didn't even realize when her clothes were discarded. One last conscious thought was the feeling of frustration she had when noticing that his were still on and she angrily pulled his shirt off. She thought she heard him chuckle but she didn't care, because finally her skin is touching his and she's never felt so relieved.

Next thing she knows, he is lying naked on top of her and her heart is still beating fast and they are both breathing heavily. She likes having him there, she feels like he is shielding her from the world and his heavy breath on the crook of her neck is the best feeling she has ever had. His heart is also racing and she likes knowing that, even though he will probably never admit it out loud, he desires her just as much she desires him.

He moves, way too soon afterwards and throws her a curious look.

"You are with child" he states with a somewhat childish smile on his face.

"Yes, milord. Are you pleased?"

He laughs his typical shrieking laughter.

"Well, take that, nasty Sforza. No-one can say I am impotent now."

Lucrezia is a little bit annoyed that that is where his focus lies but that stops the second his hand starts touching her belly. He looks again like a child discovering the world and it gives her a pleasant feeling. She also registers that not only he is naked, but also uncovered and it is the first time that she can actually study a man in that state. She likes the fact that he is comfortable enough around her to allow this and lets her eyes roam on his chest, abdomen and calves. She is so caught up in that that she doesn't even realize that he has stopped his movement on the belly.

"Do you like what you see, Signora?" he says in a somewhat mocking tone and she blushes.

"I apologize, milord." It is all she can bring herself to say and feels rather ashamed at her curiosity. When she dares look at him she notices, however, that he seems pleased about the situation – probably a little too much since there is suddenly an air of smugness about him.

His eyes are changed again and she notices the shift in the atmosphere almost instantly.

"Rest assured, Signora, I myself have no complaints either." He lowers his lips on her belly and the feeling of tenderness she has while seeing him there overwhelms her almost to tears.

Somehow, somewhere, in the middle of a political marriage, a rushed after-marriage courtship, hurried conjugal visits, and tons of sarcastic retorts, she had managed to fall in love with her husband.

/

The first thing Lucrezia noticed when she woke up was that Alfonso was no longer there. She felt a second of panic before realizing that the light had dimmed considerably and it was probably dinner time. She managed to put on her undershirt before ringing for the maid, to help choose a dress.

She asked directions for the dining room but for some reason wanted to go there, herself. But as she exited her chambers she heard voices in the nearby quarters and could not help herself from listening.

"My darling cousin, you cannot be serious." Carlotta's voice spoke and Lucrezia thought that she had never heard her tone as haughty as it was at that moment.

"Why ever not." Alfonso's mocking voice boomed through the room. "I dare say, it is quite a good match."

"Cesare Borgia?"

"He is my brother in law. That makes him a very good match."

"My dear cousin, I understand that you needed the funds to conquer Naples back, and nobody blames you for it. But everyone knows how long Lucrezia Borgia's marriages last, and nobody expects yours to be any different."

She didn't know what made her angrier: the fact that Carlotta had spent weeks in her presence being perfectly amiable while thinking that, the fact that her brother was obviously not considered anything but a second-rate husband or the fact that there was an assumption that she and Alfonso were to part soon. Her heart shrank at the idea and she stopped breathing while waiting for his reply.

"Cousin, you are overstepping your boundaries and I find your implications quite outrageous"

"You cannot tell me that you married her for any reason other than her enormous dowry and the alliance with the Papal Armies."

"The reason why I married her is irrelevant, so long as I have married her. I am terrified to think that someone in my family can think me so inconstant that once I made such a decision I am to turn back."

"They don't have any problems doing that, as everyone knows. The first husband was declared impotent, despite the fact that his first wife had died at birth."

"I am not Giovanni Sforza and not as easily convinced to declare myself unable to bed a woman." Alfonso said casually and the coolness that his tone had maintained throughout the conversation gave Lucrezia a feeling of uneasiness.

"My dear cousin, you cannot have a Borgia as your queen…"

"That is where you are mistaken, cousin." Alfonso emphasized the last word with just a little bit of venom. "I am not one to easily throw away a vow made in the eyes of God. And even if I were, and reasons of armies and dowries are all that keep me into this marriage, I am sure you can see how losing all the advantages it has brought me would not be good for our poor kingdom of Naples. The king of France is otherwise engaged at the moment, but that will not be for long and when his eyes do turn towards us again, it would not do to stand alone – as you have seen the last time that happened. The Papal States are the only allies we have at the moment and we shall strive to keep them."

"I will NOT marry Cesare Borgia!" Carlotta shouted in anger.

"I do suggest you take that idea into your consideration and ponder a little more on it. I am right now not just your cousin, but also your king and I find the idea of tightening our relations with the Papacy quite useful."

Lucrezia heard his steps closer to the door and retreated in the hallway. It was too late to run – he would have heard her anyway - so she attempted to look like she was just walking by precisely at the moment he got out.

Alfonso looked surprised to find her there.

"Ah, there you are, my wife. I was just about to send a servant to wake you. We are to dine soon."

She was pretty sure that presenting excuses would clarify what was probably already clear: he knew that she had been listening. So she took his way and ignored the situation:

"That would be wonderful, my dear husband. I was rather famished."


	6. Chapter 6

_My dear sister,_

_Faced with the prospect of being stuck between two armies like my brother before me, I have decided to make a strategic retreat – especially since I hear that all is now well in Naples. I am writing you from Rome where our father has brought me up to speed on everything else that is happening – I did not know the French king was so insistent in his quest to marry his cousin's wife. We can use that to our advantage in many ways, but we are still working out the details._

_In the meantime, I am coming to visit you in a few days. I must say I am very anxious to see for myself how you have settled in as a queen in Naples, not even mentioning how much I have missed you these past few months. I am also curious to meet your new cousin, Carlotta – I have heard lots of good thing about her beauty. Have you had the chance to discuss this issue with your husband? His approval on this match could help a great deal._

_Looking forward to seeing your sweet face again._

_Your loving brother,_

_Cesare_

/

Lucrezia had not been very anxious to see Carlota much after overhearing her conversation with Alfonso. She maintained an air of politeness and tried hard not to let it show, but she stopped actively trying to appease her. It was sure that the only way Carlotta would agree to marrying Cesare would be if forced – so her efforts had to be made someplace else.

"Good morning, my dear husband" she whispered to his sleepy form as soon as she saw his eyes flutter.

"What are you doing up at this ungodly hour, wife? Have you been feeling ill again?"

"No, I do believe that time is starting to go away now. I am now entering a new stage."

His eyes opened and Alfonso threw her a pointed look:

"You women always know so much about so many things. I would never think to ask about situations I do not need to know about."

"Ah, but I do need to know about being with child – it is one of my main purposes in this world."

"Do you intend to be with child a lot?"

"Do you not wish for many children, milord?"

"I suppose the regular heir and spare will do. " He said with nonchalance. "My mother was weakened by many births and eventually she died quite young. I do not suppose you would wish to repeat her fate."

She noted with a bit of internal glee that there was a bit of concern for her thrown in there.

"I do not wish to die young, milord, but I always supposed that most men would marry to beget heirs and I was ready for the likelihood that I might have to produce many of them."

He shrugged, turned his face towards the ceiling and said nothing to that.

"My brother would also like to marry and produce heirs, milord."

He turned back towards her with a raised eyebrow.

"Your attempts at subtlety are less and less of a challenge to discover."

"That is because I am not attempting to be subtle. You are my husband and, as you pointed out many months ago, communication is an asset to a union."

He laughed:

"I am amazed you remember that, my dear wife. You were so intent on leaving my presence I wasn't sure you registered my attempts to communicate."

"Are you subtly trying to change the subject, my dear husband?"

"My dear wife, you are getting far too clever for your own good. Has no-one told you that pestering your husband is not among the qualities one seeks in a wife?"

"I am sure that is true, but since we are already united, it would be difficult to seek someone else now. You do not easily go back on your word."

Alfonso smirked.

"Well, since you are willing to admit that you know that, you should also admit to knowing that my cousin Carlotta is not quite enthusiastic about becoming your new sister and short of tying her up in front of a priest, there is not much I can do about that."

"I do not suppose an order from her king has any chance of changing her mind."

"I do believe it would cause quite a scandal and I am sure you understand why I would like to avoid losing my uncle from my army."

There was nothing more she could add there.

/

Cesare arrived with pomp in Naples. His escort had grown significantly since he had given up his cardinal robes and even Alfonso noted to her that "your brother's army is a little too big to be to my people's liking. I do hope he knows how to keep them in check."

But the joy of seeing Cesare was too great to let such a thing spoil it.

"Cesare! I am happy to finally see you again. I hear great things about your talents as an army leader."

"My dear Lucrezia, I have missed you." They hugged. "I do not know what you have heard, for I have yet to win a great victory. But at least I have not lost anything yet."

Alfonso approached them with a (not so discreet) cough:

"My dear brother. Welcome to Naples. I do hope you have had a pleasant journey."

"Milord, I am happy to see you so comfortable on your throne. It has been long since I have seen a monarch so popular with his people."

Alfonso laughed sarcastically:

"I would not count on staying popular without an army safely installed in my castle, but I do appreciate the compliment. Speaking of which, thank you ever so much for your immense help in increasing the number of soldiers in the vicinity. They will be most helpful."

Cesare's tight smile showed that he did not quite appreciate his brother in law's sense of humor, but Lucrezia had to suppress a giggle.

/

"My dear Lucrezia. How is your marriage faring? Still as good as before?"

"I daresay it is even better. I have not yet officially announced it, but you will be the first to know - after my husband, of course – that I am to have a child."

Cesare's reaction was not quite as happy as she had hoped but after a few seconds of (what looked like) insecurity, his face finally settled into a smile.

"An heir for Naples. Your husband must be pleased."

"He is indeed."

"What about his cousin?"

"We have not told her yet."

"No, what I mean is… have you discussed with him about it?"

"Yes, I have, Cesare. But I do not think Carlotta is the wife for you."

"Father seems to think she is."

"Father does not have the same expectations in our spouses as we do."

"He seems to have done a good job for you."

"You seem to forget my first marriage."

"I hardly think princess Carlotta could be as bad for me as Giovanni Sforza was for you."

"There are many ways to be abusive, Cesare, not just through physical strength."

"I will speak to your husband about this." He answered with annoyance.

"Cesare!"

He didn't seem to register what she was trying to say and was gone before she could add anything else.

/

She found them half an hour later in the exact same quarters she had heard Alfonso speak with Carlotta.

"My dear brother, you do not seem to understand that neither my cousin nor my uncle desire this union."

"But you are their king. Surely your opinion on this matter should carry some weight."

"It does, but I fear that imposing my opinion on this subject would come at too high a price for everyone involved."

"In other words, you do not wish to press the things in my favor."

"Carlotta is my cousin and I must respect her wishes."

"But I am your brother in law – what about my wishes?"

"A marriage cannot be made just because one of the parties wishes it."

"I understand my sister is offering you an heir. Surely that must mean something to you. Not to mention the support you have received from the Papal armies."

"I am of course most grateful for everything I have and will receive from your family, but I must take into consideration…"

"You will not at least allow me to make my case with your cousin?"

Lucrezia could feel Alfonso's annoyance in his reply:

"By all means, my dear brother, you have my leave to make your case in whichever way you see fit. I am merely pointing out that if my cousin says no, I do not wish to force her to reconsider."

Cesare did not see her as he left the quarters in anger and Lucrezia felt at a loss as to what she could do to make the situation better than it was.

"I do believe you can join me now" Alfonso's voice invited her in and she could not hide her surprise.

"I am sorry, I did not wish to eavesdrop…"

"…and yet you always seem to hear all the important conversations going on here." He looked at her pointedly. "Never you mind" he shrugged, "It saves me from having to recount them to you later."

"I tried to tell my brother that maybe your cousin is not the best fit for him."

"He will find that out for himself when he attempts talking to her. I do believe he will not trust us on this matter."

Lucrezia sat down next to Alfonso who, quite naturally, started playing with a lock of her hair.

"The situation between me and your family may become tense due to this issue."

"You are also my family, Alfonso."

She forced her eyes to show him what words had not yet said. He threw her a curious look before his hand started slowly caressing her cheek.

"I do believe the situation the two of us are in is rather unexpected for both of us, my dear wife."

His eyes also said a lot more than his words and she could not help the smile on her face. The future was uncertain but they both wanted to face it together and Lucrezia felt there was still hope.


	7. Chapter 7

"Good morning, wife." Alfonso smiled from his place at the table.

"Good morning, husband." She replied cheerfully.

"There is a letter from your brother." He said on a serious tone.

Cesare had been very uncommunicative ever since he had left Naples with a negative reply from his proposal to Carlotta. His letters were few, rare and empty of any significant content. Even worse, rumors were flying about a possible alliance between the papacy and the French – King Louis' representatives were still at the Papal Court, preparing the trial for the annulment of his marriage to his current wife, Joan, the sister of King Charles. Alfonso's representatives at the Court seemed to think that the French were suddenly on very good terms with the Pope and his son, Cesare.

"Oh" Was all that Lucrezia managed to say. "Did you read it?"

Alfonso looked at her in mock outrage:

"Why, I would never think of invading your privacy like that!" He declared, mockingly scandalized.

Lucrezia gave him a knowing smile:

"You truly are the best of husbands"

Alfonso's expression turned smug for a few seconds:

"Yes, I know. Now hurry up and read the letter. You can skip the sugary brotherly love and give me the essentials as soon as you are done."

_My dear Lucrezia,_

_I hope you are doing well and your pregnancy is progressing fine. I hear good things of Naples and your husband's reign. His people seem to love him._

_Our father wishes you well. He would like to write you more, but he is extremely busy with the French representatives. They have finally convinced him to declare the marriage of King Louis to Princess Joan null and void. Apparently on top of them being closely related, there is proof that she had faults in her body's build that prevented her from ever consummating the marriage. There is also evidence to show that King Louis was forced into the marriage by Princess Joan's father, the late King Louis XI._

_The announcement will be made official in a couple of days. I am sure King Louis will be most grateful._

_I hear your husband's cousin, Carlotta, has joined King Louis in Paris. I am still hopeful she will accept me, so I have offered to join the French representatives in delivering the King the good news. _

_Please give my good wishes to your husband,_

_Cesare_

"My father will declare King Louis' marriage null and void."

"Of course he will" Alfonso declared as if it was understood. Lucrezia found herself surprised at his words.

"Your father is doing the same game he did before. Before, he married you to Giovanni Sforza and your brother Gioffre, to my sister, although us and the Sforzas were enemies. The point was to keep leverage with both camps and decide which camp is winning before choosing a side. He has now married you to me and is now building a relationship with the French king. When it will come to war, he will wait until it is clear who is winning, before either withdrawing his support from the French king or divorcing you from me." His voice sounded bitter.

"He cannot divorce me from you! I am with child! He cannot declare that this marriage was not consummated!"

Alfonso's eyes darkened.

"No, he cannot."

/

She avoided riding since she was pregnant. But she could not help herself from wondering the beautiful gardens of Naples.

A small trip, a fall, and one lady falling on top of her. It was all it took.

/

Lucrezia woke up in the middle of the night in terrible pain. She felt like she was torn to pieces and screamed before she could help herself. She had not experienced this much pain since she had given birth.

But it was way too early.

She only marginally registered that Alfonso was at her side, asking her what was wrong before she realized she was bleeding.

/

"I am sorry, Milady. There was nothing we could do."

Lucrezia could barely hear them. Her child was dead. Dead before even born.

It had been a daughter. Not an heir, but a child nevertheless. And she was now dead.

Alfonso held her hand while she stared at the wall. She could not even weep.

"I am sorry, Milord. I have failed you." She whispered.

"This things happen, Milady, through no fault of ours. God has decided we are not ready for children yet. There will be others."

He seemed so unaffected. She did not understand how he could maintain his calm in such a situation. And yet, in an odd way, seeing him calmer and more restrained that ever, managed to keep her closer to the ground.

/

The physical pain had died out within days but she couldn't get herself to get up and just walk like nothing happened. She sat in her bed, feeling empty and unable to make any moves, just continued to stare at the blank wall. Alfonso was visiting her every day, joking about incompetent servants, telling her how nice the weather was and how she should go outside and see for herself.

"I have just received notice." He said more seriously one day. "King Louis has married Queen Anne, King Charles' widow."

It had only been a month since the annulment had been announced.

"He moved very fast" she couldn't help but notice.

"He is settling his affairs. He will want to come after Naples and Sicily as soon as he has."

"My father will not allow my crown to be taken away."

He did not reply.

"I was thinking, my dear wife."

He turned towards her with a pensive look on his face.

"I hear rumors from my ambassadors in Rome. It seems your father has had another son, named Giovanni. He was born last year, while you were in Rome. But I imagine he has kept you away from the scandal."

Lucrezia's eyes turned wide but she did not say anything.

"I do not imagine a Pope has time to raise a son and there's nothing known of his mother. A child this young would need a motherly figure. No-one could do a better job than his sister, the Queen of Naples."

Her heart started beating fast and she could not imagine she had ever loved him more or could ever feel more than she was feeling at that precise moment. She had not seen Giovanni since she had left for Naples, four months before. Words failed her as she slowly realized what she had suspected all along: Alfonso knew about Giovanni, he did not mind, and he wanted to ease the pain of her miscarriage by bringing her son close.

"Unless, of course, you think you would be too busy with the business of being Queen to take care of your half-brother, in which case, of course, this is not a very good idea."

"No, husband." She did not recognize her strangled voice. "I think this is a very good idea."

/

That evening she made an effort to get up and go to dinner. She sat next to him and made polite conversation while he casually bullied the servants. His easygoing manner kept her grounded, like it had for the past weeks, prevented her from going insane.

At the end of the dinner she followed him to his rooms. He turned towards her with a somewhat sarcastic expression.

"Oh, hello, my wife. I had grown quite used to going to bed without you. You have almost startled me."

"I apologize, husband. I have been a very bad wife these past few weeks."

"You have not. I quite enjoyed the solitude."

"Do you wish me to leave, Milord?"

"Well, since you made an effort to follow me, it would be rude of me to throw you out now."

She had already gotten used to his roundabout way of expressing affection. She already knew that she would never hear words of love from him. But his actions spoke ten times louder and she liked that ten times more than any sugary word she had ever heard.

"Now, dear wife, would you care to converse? Perhaps I shall bring you up to speed with the newest gossip in Naples? Or would you prefer a game? A night of reading?"

For the first time she realized that he was a little nervous and did not quite know what to do with himself.

She got close to him and rather enjoyed his stunned expression when he watched her. Her hand slowly caressed his cheek and she felt tears spring from her eyes, which she did not attempt to stop.

He became restrained once more but did not take her eyes off her. His hand came to caress her shoulder and he slowly pulled her towards him, in a quiet embrace. She allowed herself to cry for the first time since she had lost her child. He squeezed her tight and she thought she felt him tremble slightly while he held her.

"Now, now" he whispered after a few minutes. "It will not do to bring me in such a state. If any servant walks in, I will lose my terrible reputation in an instant."

She felt an explosion of affection, mixed with a restrained laughter, even as the tears had not stopped.

"I will make sure to be careful in the future, milord."

They made love that night, like they never had before. For the first time it was slow, tender and comforting. Far from the desperate passion that had consumed them before, a different type of desperation was guiding them now. And at the end he held her some more as she released her previously unshed tears.


	8. Chapter 8

"My father is inviting us to Rome." Lucrezia said one morning after reading her mail. Alfonso raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

She knew his theories and reasonably she agreed that he was probably right. On the other hand she didn't wish to completely severe ties with a family she had once been so close to. She knew her family was ambitious but she also felt that deep down inside they loved each other and they would never do anything to hurt her.

"I am not sure a lengthy absence of its king is what Naples needs right now." Alfonso said after a long pause.

"I agree with you, husband. But a short one would not be a bad thing… would it?"

Alfonso's hand started caressing her hair while he absently pondered.

"Of course, our relations with the Papacy must remain on the positive side…" he muttered.

"It will always be on the positive side, Alfonso, for as long as you are married to me… " She turned her face towards his hand and touched it with her lips. "…and I believe you intend to stay that way for a long period of time…"

Alfonso sat closer to her and kissed her shoulder.

"That may not be entirely up to us, darling wife…"

Lucrezia got up abruptly.

"I cannot stand to hear you talk like that."

Alfonso's face turned stern and she was suddenly reminded that she was the wife of a king.

"I do not wish to ill-dispose you, my lovely wife, but we must be reminded of the realities of the world we live in. Your family is known to dispose of unwanted alliances, even when cemented with the holy connection of matrimony. If we wish to have our personal desires taken into consideration, we must present them as advantageous to them."

"…and how do you suggest we do that?"

"Let us go to Rome and present His Holiness with a proof of the advantageous alliance of Naples."

/

It was after the first day on the road, when Lucrezia kept stopping the carriage to throw up that she remembered her bleeding had not arrived in a while.

"Do you intend to be ill for the whole journey, my dearly beloved wife?" Alfonso asked with his characteristic bluntness while preparing for bed in a location much closer to Naples than initially planned.

"I do not intend anything of the kind but it is no fault of mine that your family makes a habit out of being totally opposite of what they should be" she replied crankily.

"I fail to see a connection…" he raised an eyebrow and studied her for a long quiet moment before getting closer to her. He touched her breast delicately.

"Is it just me or have your bosoms been gaining in size?"

She tried stopping her laughter but it was impossible. Leave it to Alfonso to notice that out of all other signs.

"I believe it is a natural consequence of being with child."

His face twisted into a second-long smile before stating matter-of-factly:

"This may not be a good time for travelling, then."

"My father is expecting us. It would not be wise to go back on our word."

"Your father would appreciate my concern for your health."

"I am perfectly healthy and require no concern! I will make sure not to trip and fall from now on and when time comes, will deliver a perfectly healthy son and heir for Naples." Her mood went back to cranky.

"There is no need for argument. I am simply attempting being a good husband. But if it suits you better, I can return to being a selfish brute." He waived his hand in dismissal and Lucrezia smiled in spite of herself.

"I do not wish you to be anything other than you are." She said in a sincere voice. His surprised look was rewarding enough, but the slight blush that he tried to mask by looking in any other direction but hers was the icing on the cake.

"You Borgias are dangerously skilled in the art of words. You'd think I had learned to be wary of you by now." He muttered and placed himself under the covers with as much dignity as he could gather.

With a smile that would not be removed, Lucrezia placed herself next to him and started slowly caressing him with her lips. Alfonso ignored her for a few seconds and then whispered:

"I had understood you are already with child…"

"I am but a poor woman, my dear husband. I could always be wrong…"

/

With Lucrezia's condition, the speed of the journey slowed down immensely and by the time the Naples convoy reached Rome, it was already the end of May. Rome was scorching hot, Cesare was still away at the French court and the Pope, while happy to see Lucrezia, seemed to be less open to discussing with Alfonso on any matters other than family. Alfonso did not comment on the situation but Lucrezia could tell that his disposition was not improved by it.

While participating in one of Rome's many gatherings, after interacting with every Cardinal and Cardinal relative there, Alfonso finally snapped and whispered rather aggressively in Lucrezia's ear:

"I think it is time to start planning our journey back to Naples. Our Holy Father has seen you, has assured himself of the quality of your marriage and already knows what Naples has to offer to him in this alliance. Our kingdom needs us more than Rome."

Lucrezia could think of nothing to say to reassure him and, if she were honest with herself, she wasn't sure, there was anything that could be said. The Pope, while polite, had avoided any political topic that could commit him to anything else than what he was already committed in.

When she spotted her father a little more available than usual, Lucrezia headed straight for him. Smiling as sweetly as possible for the ears of the people conversing with him, she stated in a determined voice:

"Holy Father, do you have a second to spare for your Earthly daughter?"

He could not say no to that and he didn't. Once they were alone, she whispered:

"Father, I am with child."

The Pope raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I had heard there was an unfortunate incident…"

"There was, but my husband and I have tried again and we have achieved a new pregnancy."

The Pope took a short pause before answering:

"That is wonderful news, my child. I am delighted to hear of it."

"This child I am carrying is your grandchild and the heir to the throne of Naples, at the same time."

"I am aware of the child's position in this world, my beloved daughter."

"Good. I merely wished to remind you of it and of the fact that the child's father is the current king of Naples. It would not do well to have the father of your grandchild alone in front of the French king."

"Lucrezia…" the Pope's voice carried a warning.

"You cannot declare this marriage unconsummated, father. I have already been pregnant twice, regardless of whether or not a child was born. And if God will wish this child not to be born either, I will remain pregnant again." She insisted.

"Why think of such negative things?"

"I may be but a woman, father, but I see things. I merely wished to clarify the situation, in case it was needed."

"There is no need for such theatrics, Lucrezia."

"Why is Cesare still at the French court?"

"Lucrezia, the French king is no longer Charles the Eighth. The new king is King Louis the Twelfth. His grandmother was a Visconti, part of the ancient ruling family of Milan. That and only that is his concern. Naples is in no danger, I assure you."

"You may think so, but the French kings have been after Naples for centuries. Assuming that King Louis has made Milan a priority, once he has Milan at his disposal, what will stop him from coming after Naples?"

"Lucrezia, there is no need for you to get involved in this. It will not do well for your health, nor your child's. Rest assured that I am very much aware who you are married to and how that assists us."

Before Lucrezia managed to answer, a messenger entered the hall in a hurry. After bowing to practically everyone in the room, the messenger headed straight for the Pope and offered him a manuscript. While the Pope was reading the manuscript, a complete silence covered the entire ballroom. Finally the Pope smiled, grabbed a glass of wine and raised it:

"My honored guests, it is time to rejoice. I have just received news that our beloved son, Cesare Borgia, has married Charlotte d'Albret, sister of the King of Navarre. In honor of this marriage, king Louis XII has offered our son the title of Duke of Valentinois."

While the hall applauded, Lucrezia studied everyone's faces. Not everyone was as pleased by the news as the Pope obviously was. She spotted Alfonso pretty quickly – he was applauding with everyone, but his eyes were darker than ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucrezia, almost in tears, ran to Alfonso's quarters almost as soon as it was prudent to leave the party. She had made a good effort to stay cheerful and not give way to the desperation building up inside her. She had also made a conscious effort to mingle with everyone, get a feel of things and make a small calculation of who was on whose side. Her unique position as the Pope's daughter and, at the same time, wife of the enemy of the Pope's new ally made people weary, but she had done her best. Unfortunately, in the process, she was prevented from what she really wanted, which was to talk to Alfonso, who in his turn was heavily socializing.

She threw all the servants out as soon as she was in his room. He turned towards her calmly. At the beginning of their marriage she had been occasionally frightened when seeing him calm, so used she was to his energy and franticness. But despite having as little as nine months together, this was not the beginning of their marriage anymore. They had built an unlikely partnership that was now functioning almost perfectly. She had learned to see the method behind his madness and he had learned that he didn't need to apply this method with her. The loss of their first child, a tragedy in itself, had helped them reveal themselves to each other.

"What is the plan?" She did not even try an introduction to the subject.

"The stage is being set for war. Your father wants to increase the power of the Papal States and he is going to use your brother's skills as a general and King Louis' armies to do it."

"He cannot set the French against Italy! They will end up turning against him!"

"They could, but if the Papal States grow strong enough, they will be in a position to fight back. Currently the Pope depends on a shift of alliances in Italy. With a large territory at His disposal, the Pope can stop worrying so much about alliances and be His own person. Plus, if all else fails, an excommunication can be very effective. Worked for Pope Gregory, why not for Pope Alexander?"

"What will you do?"

"The pope is currently not interested in Naples. He will probably go for Imola, Forli… Your former husband's town of Pesaro…"

"But King Louis…"

"King Louis will first go for Milan, on behalf of his grandmother's Visconti blood… He will probably turn towards our kingdom next." Alfonso calmly sipped from a glass of wine before continuing. "But we must remember, my dear wife, that we are not without family in this world. King Ferdinand of Aragon is my father's first cousin and he has no interest in seeing the French in Naples. Your father may have forgotten his Spanish origins, but I have not."

"…but wouldn't King Ferdinand use his relation to the royal house of Naples to claim the throne for himself?"

"Your father is using King Louis and running the risk of having him turn against him. I am afraid we are forced to take a similar strategy and, like your father, hope that after we have used the foreign armies, we will be strong enough to not have them overtake us."

Lucrezia sat down on the bed. She could not believe that this was happening. Her father and her husband were preparing to go to war. Against each other.

"In the meantime, my dear wife, I fear we must extend our visit in Rome. I have already sent notice to my uncle in Naples on the subject. He will take care of strengthening the city and gathering an army. We will take care of discussing with the ambassadors currently residing in the Holy City."

/

Two weeks after the Pope announced his new alliance, Ascanio Sforza requested an audience with Lucrezia. Not used to be the main participant in an audience (as opposed to being the daughter or the wife of the main participant), Lucrezia had expressed her surprise to her husband.

"I fail to see the element of surprise here. I am surprised it took him two weeks to do this – it should have been the first thing to do. But I suppose he is not as clever as people think him."

"But… why me?"

"Do not underestimate yourself, dear wife. He cannot come to me directly, since our families are on rather uncomfortable terms. We must remember that Ludovico Sforza is the one that initially brought this upon us by assisting the French with their first campaign for Naples, in return for his investiture as Duke of Milan. Now the tables have turned against them and they have very few people they can turn to. But you are in a perfect position: you are the daughter of the Pope and the Queen of Naples at the same time. You are on good terms with both sides, yet as Queen of Naples, are more interested in keeping the French away."

"What shall I do?"

Alfonso touched her face in a moment of tenderness that had become a bit of a rarity in their previous two weeks.

"Lucrezia, you have lived at the center of the political world. You have seen alliances made and broken. So far you have stayed outside of it, but I have no doubt that you are more than capable to be an active player in this game. The Neapolitans and the Milanese despise each other and Naples has been treated very badly by Milan in the past. However, Naples wants the French out as much as Milan does and such petty conflicts can be postponed… for the right incentive."

His confidence in her touched her greatly, although she had already signs of it when he had started sharing his plans, plans that were quite against what her family was going for.

"I will not disappoint you, my love" she whispered. Alfonso's eyes widened at her unintentional confession. His hand held her face in place as he kissed her cheek for a long moment.

"You could not disappoint me if you tried… my love." He whispered against her skin.

/

Ascanio Sforza was a man that Lucrezia had always been wary of, despite not having had much contact with him. He was a very hard man to read. Despite his family name, he had occasionally assisted the Pope against his amazon cousin, Caterina. He had managed to stay in the Pope's good graces even after Lucrezia's marriage with his other cousin, Giovanni, had gone south. He had negotiated the annulment of that marriage and the final settlement had been much in Lucrezia's favour. Yet, he was a Sforza and long-term all his schemes had been for the benefit of his family, even if sometimes they were not obvious as such.

"Cardinal Sforza… to what do I owe this honour?" Lucrezia decided to give him a head start.

"Your majesty… I believe I did not have the chance to congratulate you on your pregnancy."

"That is very kind of you Cardinal, thank you."

"It is no little thing, being the mother of the future king of Naples…"

"Believe me, Cardinal, I am aware of the honour."

"Of course, that is supposing that there will be a kingdom of Naples to be a king of."

"I am very confident that that will be the case."

"The armies of France are moving towards Milan as we speak. If Milan becomes a French territory, there is nothing stopping King Louis from moving on to Naples."

"There was nothing stopping King Charles when Milan was Italian, so I suppose nothing is new on that front."

Cardinal Sforza took a long moment before answering.

"Milan and Naples may not have the most peaceful history, but in the face of the current circumstances…"

"Milord Sforza, Milan has a long history of treachery and deceit against Naples. I may not have been Queen of Naples for long, but I have lived long enough at my father's court to remember that Duke Galeazzo's wife was Neapolitan and that Duke Ludovico, not content with being regent of Milan, has used the help of the French armies to removing Duke Galeazzo and his Neapolitan wife and then set those armies towards Naples to prevent King Ferrante from helping them. The tide has turned against you and now you expect the very same Naples to assist you."

"If Milan falls, Naples is next. That is a fact, Madonna Lucrezia."

"What guarantees does the Queen of Naples have that the Duke of Milan will not simply turn their backs on her kingdom once he has gotten what he wanted?"

"The King of France has to go through Milan to get to Naples, your majesty. The previous French King may not have cared about Milan, but the current one does. If Milan freely allows King Louis' presence, Duke Ludovico will no longer have a Dukedom. For this reason, Duke Ludovico would never give in. And as long as Duke Ludovico does not give in, Naples is safe."

"I do understand you, Cardinal, however, I believe an alliance needs to be thought through for a more consistent scope, rather than just defeating one enemy."

Cardinal Sforza sighed and Lucrezia bit her lip to prevent a giggle.

/

"Well?"

"Duke Ludovico would like to sign a secret treaty with you. In exchange for your military assistance, he would like to assist you in signing a treaty with Emperor Maximilian, who is currently married to his niece, Bianca, a treaty which he guarantees will offer you a strong protection against the French. He also is willing to sign a marriage treaty between a Neapolitan princess of your choosing and his oldest son, Massimiliano."

"His son is but six years of age. Such an engagement holds no value."

"True. And, besides, I believed you wanted an agreement that was slightly more discreet than that. An open alliance with Milan, after such long history of conflict, would set you definitely against my father in this matter, and I do not think you should do this too soon."

Alfonso smirked but said nothing.

"I agree with you that we cannot be very trusting of Milan. On the other hand, Milan is allied with Ferrara and the Estes, the family of the Duke's late wife, Duchess Beatrice. Duke Ercole of Este's other son in law is Francesco Gonzaga, who is a man of word and a great general. Duke Ercole has managed to remain neutral so far and has managed to maintain a reasonable relationship with King Louis, while still being allied to Duke Ludovico. Duke Ercole's oldest son, your majesty's cousin, Alfonso, has lost his wife in childbirth more than a year ago…"

"Is Cardinal Sforza authorized to negotiate Alfonso's marriage?"

"Duke Ercole is old and none of his sons have heirs. A marriage is needed for the good of the Este future. Naples is a very good place to choose a bride. Your cousin Carlotta is still available… I do not believe she would protest much against being the future Duchess of Ferrara."

"…in return for…?"

"Your cousin will require an escort on her way to Ferrara. She is a princess of a great position, so it cannot be a small one. Marquess Francesco may decide to use that escort to… create difficulties for the French…"

Alfonso released his typical shrieking laugh.

"…We must congratulate our cousin on her engagement, then…"

/

An official proposal of marriage was made to Carlotta and her reply showed that she felt it was a much more appropriate match than the one of Cesare Borgia. Alfonso, through Lucrezia, concluded the discussions by the end of June. At the beginning of July, Cardinal Sforza, more and more insecure with his safety within the walls of Rome, decided to flee – but at that time, Alfonso and Lucrezia were already directly in contact with the Este family and their representatives in Rome, so his presence was not much missed. Carlotta and her 'escort' started preparing in Naples.

By the end of July, however, news came that the French had successfully invaded Milan. The speed of campaign showed that it was long in the making and that King Louis had prepared his armies long before receiving Papal approval. Duke Ludovico had fled to Emperor Maximillian's court. Cesare had sent message that he was heading towards Rome with King Louis, to celebrate their success and receive official Papal approval.

Lucrezia and Alfonso noticed the increase in the number of guards on their quarters. The Pope mentioned it was "for their safety and comfort", since Lucrezia was now five months pregnant and more vulnerable. Her only comforts were Alfonso and Giovanni, who had been moved to their quarters. The two spouses had to develop a system in which they communicated in whispers and signs to prevent as much information leakage as possible. At the same time the Este family became much less communicative.

"My darling wife…" Alfonso whispered one night.

"Yes, husband."

"I can no longer stay in Rome."

"When shall we leave?"

"We cannot. I am afraid I must leave alone."

"I will not stay without you here."

"I have suggested the Holy Father that there is business waiting for me in Naples and he very covertly suggested that the business can wait. I will not be allowed to leave so it must be done in the night, when nobody's looking. And I must do this before your brother, Cesare, and King Louis are here with their many soldiers. You are in too vulnerable a state to travel like that, it is much too dangerous."

"You are leaving your wife and heir in the hands of the enemy!" Lucrezia almost screamed her whisper and Alfonso shushed her hurriedly.

"Lucrezia, the enemy, as you call him, is your father. He may despise me and plot my doom, but he would never consider harming you."

"Plotting your doom is harming me." She cried.

"I do not believe he sees it quite like that, my love." He kissed her forehead. "Naples will be in war again and if it doesn't go our way, this is the only city in the world where you and your children are safe. "

/

On the night of August 2nd, with the help of some guards that were vulnerable to 'incentives', Alfonso left his wife in Rome and fled for Naples.

That night, her first night sleeping without him in months, Lucrezia hugged a pillow and cried herself to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

"Our darling daughter... Is your husband not joining us today?"

Lucrezia spent a second wondering how to tackle the issue.

"Our husband has decided that, as pleasant as it is to spend time with his family, the job of kingship can wait no longer. He has left for Naples."

The table grew suddenly quiet. With the exception of Sancia, everyone was staring at her, but Lucrezia did her best to act as if everything that she said was normal.

"Why would he leave without saying good bye?The Pope finally asked.

"My darling husband apologizes for that. He received urgent news this morning that meant he could not waste another minute and had to leave immediately."

"Pray, may we know what those urgent news were?"

"Father, I am a poor woman. I do not have the right to question my husband when he makes a decision of this smiled sweetly. He did not see fit to inform me on the subject and I did not see fit to ask."

She knew they would see through her lie but she couldn't help the small satisfaction she felt when seeing the expression on their faces. They had forced her to marry him. Now they were facing the consequences of their own double game.

/

Sancia had never been Lucrezia's favorite companion. She was openly vulgar, always justifying it by her status as a bastard. She had never bothered to hide her affair with Juan. When his wife came from Spain after his death, she had openly attempted to discuss his sexual prowess, while Gioffre was within hearing range. Theirs was an odd marriage, to say the least all part of The Holy Father's attempt to create blood alliances.

But the vulgar and flirtatious nature of Sancia was something Lucrezia was starting to appreciate. It was open. Unlike the Borgias, Sancia had no problems choosing a side and sticking to it, no matter how in an inappropriate of a manner she was doing it.

And Sancia's connections with Naples proved to be very useful when trying to communicate with Alfonso.

"There is a letter for you, Your MajestySancia whispered in her ear about a week after Alfonso's flight.

/

_My dear Lucrezia,_

_I have now reached Naples and am safe. I have received a letter from my cousin, the King of Aragon he is, of course, not without his claims, but I believe he will assist us. I do not have the time and I also find it unwise to share all of our negotiations, but be sure that I maintain my hope that we will both be safe in Naples once more, along with our child._

_You will receive a letter from me through the official channels, soon enough. That one is for your Father's eyes: I will beg you to join me in Naples and make it seem like the situation is desperate. Do not fret it is not quite like that. For what it is worth, I miss your presence and advice, but I advise you to remain in Rome. Your Father may not enjoy your loyalty to me, but he will never actually harm you, that much I know. Not to mention that, even if you are probably not as trusted as before, you have a better chance of catching wind of what is going on if you stay there. We will have time to enjoy each other's company later._

_If you have anything you wish to communicate that you think the French should not know, use Sancia: she knows how to reach me without the Pope knowing and she is loyal to me first of all. You can use the official channels for news of your health and our child. _

_Take great care of yourself. Burn every letter you receive through Sancia._

_With love,_

_Alfonso_

/

A letter arrived from Naples the next day.

_Our beloved wife_

_We have reached Naples and have managed to take care of our business with positive consequences. We are now preparing for the inevitable conflicts awaiting us. There is much work to be done, and the war has arrived sooner than we'd hoped, but we strive to be ready for it._

_We would feel more secure in our knowledge that our wife is safe and sound in her own kingdom, so please join us as soon as you see fit and your health allows. _

_Send all our gracious greetings to the Holy Father and your beloved family. We are sorry we were unable to say proper good byes when leaving, but I am sure they understand that some matters of urgency simply cannot wait for formalities. I look forward to the day when I am reunited with the entire family._

_Looking forward to your presence,_

_Alfonso of Aragon, King of Naples_

/

_Our beloved husband,_

_We are happy to hear all the great news of Naples. We are confident in your ability to lead your kingdom out of trouble again, like you have before._

_Rome is very warm and we are tempted to consider your offer to relocate to Naples. Unfortunately our doctors are advising us, in light of our previous miscarriage, to abstain from any long journey that could affect our child. We are confident you will understand that the current priority is to make sure that your son and heir is delivered safely. In any other circumstances, we would have been back in Naples at the same time as you._

_Thank you for all your kind wishes. Our Holy Father sends you his greetings and extends you an invitation to return to Rome whenever your time allows it._

_Your faithful wife,_

_Lucrezia Borgia, Queen of Naples_

/

It had become very tiresome to maintain an appearance of civility and calm, while deep down inside she was reaching despair. The pregnancy was developing nicely, but she missed Alfonso fiercely and wished to see him, sometimes to the point of ignoring his wishes and climbing on the first carriage to Naples. The invitations she included in her letters, although written at her Father's insistence, were sincere. She wanted to see him, despite knowing that his return would endanger his life. But sometimes, in her more and more advanced state of pregnancy, she chose to deliberately forget all the risks and just wish he would come.

/

"How is our daughter faring?The Pope found her in the gardens one morning. 的s your child in good health?"

"The pregnancy is progressing nicely, Father, thank you for asking. The doctor says it is an easy pregnancy, although I think that is quite easy for a man to say. Nevertheless, because of our previous accident, I need to be very careful."

"Do you miss your husband?"

"I do, but I understand that he has more important business to attend to. Too many foes are attacking Naples from all sides..." she threw him a pointed look.

The Pope coughed uncomfortably.

"I understand he is too busy to join us in Rome. Maybe you would miss him less, if you were to have a more constant... occupation. You think your... state... would allow that?"

"What kind of occupation do you have in mind?"

"I would need someone to handle Spoleto and Foligno... They are small Papal fiefs, but in light of the current circumstances, we need to keep tight reign on them. There are few people I trust to be clever enough and yet loyal enough to handle this. And the towns are close enough to not require extensive traveling."

Lucrezia was flabbergasted.

"If you do not think your pregnancy will allow this..."

"No, it will!"cShe answered a little too quickly for her liking.

"Good, then it is settled."

/

_My dear Alfonso,_

_This is the first time I've had to use Sancia's courier services but I needed to make sure this reaches you fast enough. She assured me it will._

_My Father has just granted me governorship of Spoleto and Foligno. I am not sure what the motives behind this are, but I accepted this and intend to make the most of it. An official announcement will be made this week._

_I will leave for Spoleto as soon as it is possible. We may have a little more privacy to exchange letters there. I do not know if there is a time for a letter from you to reach me before I leave._

_Please let me know if there is any advice you have to offer on the matter._

_If you consider it safe, we may also arrange a meeting. _

_With love,_

_Lucrezia_

_/_

_My lovely Lucrezia,_

_Your father is doing what he has always done: providing for his children. He is growing old and surrounded by enemies, the Papacy is not hereditary and he is trying to make sure that all of you have properties that you can maintain even after he has passed. I understand your brother, Cesare, has changed his plans and instead of marching for Rome is preparing an attack of Imola and Forli. I am assuming the plan is to build an Italian empire, ruled by Borgias and Borgia relatives. A risky plan, but I cannot help but admire it._

_Beware of your servants and make sure you know who to trust. I am assuming my sister is not joining you in your trip so from now on we have to be careful what we include in our letters._

_I will try to arrange to see you as soon as it is safe for both of us. I may not be able to travel to Spoleto, but I think Nepi is appropriately close enough to you and far enough from Rome to provide a good setting._

_Take great care of our child._

_With love,_

_Alfonso_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Totally unrelated to the fic A/N**__: I cannot even begin to describe my frustration at the huuuuuge liberties taken by The Borgias with history. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that sometimes history is changed for the sake of entertainment, as far as TV shows go, but in this case I cannot see what extra entertainment is created by this. As an example, the royal family of Naples:_

_In history, Alfonso II of Naples (in the show, Augustus Prew) is the son of king Ferrante and the father of King Ferdinand II. Sancia and Alfonso of Bisceglie are his illegitimate children. King Frederick of Naples is his brother._

_In the show Alfonso II of Naples is 20 (for some reason), is the son of king Ferrante and the brother of Sancia (would have been hard for him to have been her father). He was too young to have a grown son so his relationship with King Ferdinand (shown to be older than him) is not explained in any way. King Frederick, in reality the uncle of Alfonso of Bisceglie is described as his "cousin", King Ferdinand, in reality Alfonso of Bisceglie's brother is described as his "uncle" and the show invents a prince Rafaelo just to show that Lucrezia is capable of spinning politics._

_Extra muck-up by the show with the Sforzas: Ascanio and Ludovico were brothers in real life – in the show the first season presents them as "cousins". Caterina was the illegitimate daughter of their older brother (so their niece), but she is also mentioned as their "cousin". Giovanni Sforza, who in the show made much fuss of his legitimate noble line (as opposed to Lucrezia's bastardy) was in real life the illegitimate son of a cousin of Ascanio's and Ludovico's. _

_I can understand the dramatic value of having Cesare avenging Lucrezia and killing Giovanni (although not accurate) and of his killing Ludovico (also inaccurate). But if someone could explain to me why the show's drama becomes better just by turning brothers into uncles, uncles into cousins and brothers into cousins, maybe I could stop gritting my teeth whenever they decide to do this again and I could live to have them (my teeth) in my old age. Any kind of assistance is appreciated._

_**A/N in relation to the fic: **__By accepting Alfonso II of Naples as Lucrezia's second husband, I have already left the realm of historical accuracy but at least in every other respect I tried to keep the historical line – although having Alfonso King of Naples makes some of the things that happened in real life kind of difficult to accept (so, obviously some changes need to appear). But as far as I can tell the show has left historical accuracy altogether and will probably go a totally different way than history, so I think you can safely assume that this fic is totally AU compared to the show._

/

Lucrezia left her family in a state of tension. Gioffre, frustrated with his father's lack of attention, had grown into a troubled teenager. He had taken to spending longer time than recommended in Rome's taverns and, just before her leaving, had been involved in a rather heated argument with the Roman police. The Pope was embarrassed and gave Gioffre a scolding – and while Gioffre had the decency to at least pretend to be repentant, Sancia had aggressively jumped into his defense, making the situation ten times worse. Lucrezia was glad that the two had formed some kind of a partnership (despite both obviously having sex with everyone else except each other) but she also thought the partnership should express itself in more constructive ways – rather than just drunken adventures and their defense.

As a result, The Pope had decided that Gioffre and Sancia needed to be discretely removed from Rome. As a last minute solution, they joined Lucrezia on her way to Spoleto. And while she was glad that her safe channel to Alfonso was still open, the event had made her leaving tense, and had left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

She had started to realize that, while she loved her family, they tended to be pretty toxic. Theirs was a family of strong characters and ambitions, and love and personal affections suffered because of it. If she were to give in and let herself be used by them, she would merely carry on from being married off from one advantageous alliance to another. She hadn't realized until recently how much her divorce from Giovanni Sforza had cost her in ways of reputation and how lucky she really was that someone as blue-blooded as the King of Naples was desperate enough to marry her. On top of the true affection she had developed for Alfonso, she realized that her own personal interest and well-being required that she stayed married to him and that he remained King. Her own family and their ambitions were threatening to ruin that and her own kin thought nothing of it, because they thought that they could always just marry her off somewhere else, if the Naples venture for some reason (and in ways Lucrezia did not wish to imagine) would not work out.

So she left for Spoleto with a sense of determination and purpose that had lacked her for many years. She finally saw herself independent from her family. The part of her that still loved them could only hope that after their (inevitable) initial anger would wear off, they would come to admire her for it.

/

In the meantime, The Pope was making great efforts to convince Alfonso to join Lucrezia in Spoleto. A special emissary was sent to discuss the matter. Lucrezia knew her father's arguments, she had listened to them over and over while still in Rome. It did not look good for the husband to leave the way he had, while his wife was heavily pregnant. Rumors of a breach between the spouses were heard all over Italy and her reputation suffered as she looked like she had been discarded. Had she not truly known Alfonso and also her family, she might have believed them herself.

As it was, she was beginning to feel more and more insecure in regards to what she was to do. She missed him something fierce and wanted to see him. Her body was aching for him as her pregnancy mood swings expressed themselves stronger, her bed was empty at night and there was no-one she could trust her most intimate thoughts to anymore. She hadn't realized how much part of her life he had become in the short time they had spent together until she started spending time without him. It terrified her that she needed him so badly, while at the same time she was constantly afraid that urging him to come to her would lead him into a trap. She focused as much as she could on governing Spoleto and Foligno, venting all her frustration in the science of administration.

Through official channels, Alfonso discussed with the Pope and kept Lucrezia in the loop while also sending her words of encouragement through Sancia. They negotiated to meet in Nepi, to discuss the state of affairs between the Papal States and Naples. Lucrezia dared not protest, because she wanted to see him badly, but at the same time couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the whole situation. Taking Gioffre and Sancia with her as per her father's instructions, she headed towards Nepi with a heavy heart.

/

Due to her pregnancy which led to slow travelling and frequent stops, Lucrezia was the last to reach Nepi, despite being the one with the least travelling to do. She was led straight to the dining room where her father and husband seemed to be entertaining each other. Despite the amicable appearances, though, she knew both of them well enough to recognize the signs of weariness.

"Ah, our daughter!" The Pope rose and helped her to a chair next to him, almost as if making a point. Alfonso stood up, bowed and then stood back down.

"Hello wife. I expect you had a pleasant journey."

His business-like tone did not soothe the sensitive state of mind her pregnancy and loneliness had brought her into, but what remained of her reason understood it and fought for control.

"Thank you for your concern, dear husband. I most certainly did."

"…and how goes the pregnancy? I trust all is well."

"I am happy to report that your son and heir is healthy, kicking frequently and eating for five." That last part was something she was particularly frustrated about. On top of all the stress, she had developed a very strong appetite.

Alfonso nodded.

"I was just discussing with your husband about your government of Spoleto and how well you made of it. I hear only good things of your capabilities, my dear daughter."

Lucrezia smiled courteously and tried not to show too much smugness. She was proud of herself – she had been in Spoleto less than a month and yet she felt she was respected. She felt like she was making a name for herself, surprising her new subjects, who were expecting her to be nothing but a meek pawn.

"We also discussed the possibility of both of your joining us in Rome for your birth. You have just one more month to go and we feel that is the best place to deliver your child."

Lucrezia tried not to let the panic show on her face as she looked towards Alfonso. He looked unperturbed and she couldn't believe he would ever agree to such a conclusion.

"Surely, father, the heir of Naples should be born in Naples." She said with conviction.

The Pope seemed slightly disturbed by her reply. Alfonso smirked:

"It is decided, then. My wife will accompany me to Naples at the end of our meeting."

"Naples is too far away for her to make the long journey." The Pope protested again.

"A month is more than enough to make it to Naples" Lucrezia replied in annoyance and shot him a look that she knew would silence him.

/

She went to bed early, frustrated by the fact that her father and husband were still discussing politics while she could barely keep her eyes open. She was happy she was pregnant and giving her husband an heir but she couldn't help but wish she gave birth already and became functional again.

Alfonso joined her late in the night and she felt him in her bed as soon as he was there.

"Husband…" she whispered.

"Shh… You are tired, you need sleep." He mumbled, obviously pretty tired himself.

"I love you."

She was no longer afraid of the words. She no longer feared letting him know, even if he still maintained his policy of a bare minimum of affectionate words. He loved her, she knew it, even if he never actually stated it out loud.

"I love you, husband. I missed you fiercely during this one month and 23 days we were apart. My entire being screamed for you. And yet now that you are here with me, I cannot help but fear. My family…"

His finger touched her lips gently.

"Your family love you, my love. They will also love your child, just like they loved your first one."

It was the first time he openly acknowledged Giovanni as her son, despite the child having not left her side after first joining her in Naples.

"But you, Alfonso…" she mumbled against his finger.

"I am a much better option for Naples than the French king will ever be. France is far away and the French will never be able to maintain a good control of the region, no matter how hard they try. Your father and brother will conquer a good part of Italy, create a strong Papal state and throw off the French when they don't need them. Your son, the Pope's grandchild, will be the king of Naples and his sons will follow him."

His confidence calmed her down and she fell back to sleep in his arms.

She never knew how many hours Alfonso stayed awake while she slept.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Another A/N unrelated to the fic:**__ The Borgias are now officially a fantasy TV show. What is happening there does not even remotely come close to what happened in reality, not even vaguely – other than the names of the characters. It has even left the land of Wikipedia, which in terms of the Borgias has loads of blanks to fill. I am extremely disappointed and yet, for some reason, cannot stop watching, like a car crash unraveling before my eyes. The real history of the Borgias is fascinating enough without inventions, why must they stray so far?_

/

By the time Lucrezia arrived in Naples, the entire Italian political world was in turmoil. Claiming that they had not paid their census, the Pope had officially declared against the rulers of a few towns officially part of the Papal States, basically paving the way for a new ruler. Among them, Caterina Sforza's towns of Imola and Forli. As Alfonso had drily remarked, the Pope was preparing to move Papal territory into Borgia arms with the help of King Louis' French army.

On a more personal note, Cesare had also written to inform her that the wife he had married and promptly proceeded to leave in France was with child. Alfonso, of course, could not help but make a sarcastic jab on his efficiency in producing children after only a short while in her company.

Lucrezia did not have much time to reflect on how this was affecting her. Her pregnancy was nearing its due and, at the end of October she went into labor. Although considerably easier than her first birth, this was no less tiresome and by the time she was over she did not even have the strength to rejoice when realizing that her child was a boy. She had done her duty and provided her husband with an heir.

Alfonso arrived a few minutes later.

"Your Highness, your son." The midwife bowed presenting the little screaming bundle while Lucrezia was watching tiredly.

Alfonso did a bad job of masking surprise:

"Well done, wife. I had not dared to hope we would be so efficient in our efforts." He looked awkwardly at the child while the midwife pretended that the position she was in was not in any way uncomfortable.

"Bring him to me." Lucrezia whispered tiredly. She took the boy in her arms and expertly guided him towards her breast. Alfonso watched with fascination.

"I will admit to not knowing much about raising a child, my dear wife."

"If he turns out half the man you are, husband, I will declare myself satisfied."

Alfonso seemed embarrassed by her very public statement. He fidgeted a little around the bed and then awkwardly sat down next to them, rigidly caressing the child's arms.

"He is so… small…" He ended up saying and Lucrezia couldn't help but laugh.

"What shall we call him?" She asked.

"I am thinking Rodrigo would be a very suitable name." He declared with the tone of someone who had already thought this through.

"Are you sure about that? Wouldn't you prefer to name him after your father, rather than mine?"

"My father is dead." Alfonso replied with a hint of bitterness. "Your father is very much alive and much more likely to respond to flattering of this kind."

When Lucrezia did not reply, he continued: "Naming the child after him creates even more of a connection. It emphasizes the fact that the child is his blood. Might make him more inclined to support the child's inheritance."

She found the blank look on his face somewhat odd and felt a sudden bout of chills down her spine. However, before she could clarify what exactly he was implying, he abruptly sat up:

"Rodrigo of Aragon… duke of Bisceglie … heir to the throne of Naples… will those titles satisfy you to begin with?"

"To begin with…" she smiled flirtatiously, in a rather poor attempt (she thought later) to make a joke.

"You will require bed rest after the labor, I presume. You can use your time in bed to think up some more pompous titles, if you'd like."

"I will do my best to come up with the most pretentious ones possible." She declared before letting the sleep overcome her.

/

Rodrigo was baptized soon in a luxurious ceremony. A few days after that, news arrived that the town of Imola had opened its gates to Cesare. A week later news arrived of Forli: Caterina Sforza, knowing that this was Cesare's next stop, had made a public speech demanding the Forli citizens to rally behind her and defend it. The response was much poorer than she'd hoped, the news said. Frustrated, Caterina had locked herself in the citadel and officially let go of anyone would have liked to leave. Cardinal Riario, related to her former husband, had fled Rome, as he felt danger approaching.

In recovery after her birth, Lucrezia did not have much time to process everything that was happening outside Naples. Queenship in itself was a busy job and her towns of Spoleto and Foligno also occasionally required her attention. The Christmas preparations were underway, making her time to breathe very scarce. Alfonso himself was very busy, discreetly preparing an army to defend Naples and also continuously communicating with king Ferdinand of Aragon, in an attempt to bring about Spanish help against the inevitable war with the French.

Everything seemed to happen in such a blur that there were days when they hardly saw each other while at night they would tiredly fall asleep into each other's arms. There was much less time to plot, with so many fronts to act upon. A new proposal for Carlotta from a Breton count, officially a vassal of the new Queen of France, also led to hopes that there could be some assistance for them from behind the enemy lines. Carlotta was sent back to France, under the disguise of furthering her education as Queen Anne's lady in waiting.

By Christmas, Cesare was sieging Forli again. Poorly disguising their admiration for the warrior woman, ambassadors talked of how she rebuilt during the night everything the French artillery was destroying during the day and how she had attempted to capture Cesare while he was trying to convince her soldiers to surrender.

During Naples' Christmas celebrations, the ongoing war was the main subject of conversation. For the first time, Lucrezia had time to sit down and realize what was happening and how her family's ambition was changing the face of Italy.

/

On the second day of Christmas, finding a little time for herself, Lucrezia decided to spend more time with her husband. She made sure that there were no guests for lunch and, after the servants placed the food on the table, she gave clear orders that they be left alone. Alfonso raised an eyebrow at her, watching her proceedings intently.

"Do you mean to have me murdered, now that your son is heir?" he said as soon as they were alone.

After the first second of consternation she noticed his smirk. The excitement of the first weeks of their marriage, when everything was sarcastic retorts and double meanings, engulfed her almost instantly.

"Oh no, you had me figured out. I should have been more careful in my planning!" she huffed dramatically.

"I see…" He pondered for a second. "And what horrifying method have you chosen for my death?"

"The plan is to feed you delicious food to get you in a good mood… bathe you to have you relaxed… and then…" she formed what she hoped was a seductive smile "to work towards your complete exhaustion."

She was not entirely sure that she was as appealing to him as she used to be. Her pregnancy fat had not yet fully gone away and they had spent much time away from each other since the birth. For all she knew, he could have taken a mistress, which was what most men of his station did when their wives were pregnant.

Her insecurity disappeared when she heard his sharp intake of breath as realization dawned on him. He took a few moments to respond.

"I was not aware that you were sufficiently recovered from your recent birth to… exert yourself physically…" he seemed to choose his words carefully.

"I can assure you milord, I am fully recovered. You may have not noticed because I have been very busy with my duties as Queen of Naples, which have kept me much out of your way."

She waited for a moment while maintaining her eyes on him. She liked the way he seemed to be in control, and yet his breath seemed slightly more ragged than it was before.

"Of course, my cunning plan could fail miserably if milord King decides that he is not tempted by what I am offering…"

His eyes narrowed at her.

"The hole I see in your cunning plan is that it does not account for your lord King not being hungry or having recently bathed."

She had to make a conscious effort to stop herself from laughing.

"I may, of course, have to adjust the plan a little…"

He abruptly sat up and headed straight from her. He seemed to be done with games, which was confirmed to her by his next words:

"So how about we just skip the introduction?"

/

By mid-January, Cesare took Forli by force. Caterina had surrendered to the French general in charge, knowing that French law did not allow women to be prisoners of war. In his turn, the general handed her over to Cesare, in return for his promise that he will treat her as a guest.

In February Ludovico Sforza made one more attempt to re-conquer Milan. The French armies marched back to help while Cesare took Caterina to Rome and locked her in a palace. The Pope decided to gift the lands of Sermoneta, initially belonging to the Caetani family, to his newest grandson, Rodrigo.

Italy was at the Borgias' feet.


	13. Chapter 13

Naples' royal family was officially invited to Rome in late March, along with some of the other Italian ruling families, to take part in Cesare's triumph. After many discussions among them, both Lucrezia and Alfonso decided to honor the invitation. Surprisingly enough, it was Lucrezia who was decidedly against the visit – while Alfonso claimed that it was the reasonable thing to do to maintain friendly relations with the Papacy. There was also the matter of her two children – in regards to whom she wasn't entirely sure what to do. Alfonso, again, claimed, that they were safest in Rome out of all places. In the end, his opinion won again.

Cesare's triumph was as Lucrezia expected: imitating the ancient Roman triumphs, going as far as comparing Cesare with his namesake, Caesar, it was a magnificent celebration. At the end of it, the Pope officially invested Cesare as Gonfalonier – Captain General of the Church. The celebrations were not in any way hindered by the fact that in Milan a fight to the death was happening between the French armies and what was left of Ludovico Sforza's armies. Even more so, when ten days later news arrived of the French victory and of Ludovico's capture, Cesare and the Pope celebrated their ally's victory.

Lucrezia could not be happy for them. She may not have been entirely Italian in blood but she did not feel that allowing Italy to be conquered by the French was a very smart thing to do. She watched in disbelief as her father awarded 100 ducats to the messenger who brought the news.

Just like in their previous stay in Rome, Lucrezia and Alfonso were being constantly watched by Papal guards. The Pope insisted that it was for their safety and Cesare enforced that view, but Lucrezia could tell that they no longer trusted her. In a way she knew they were right – she had chosen to be a better wife than a daughter – but she also felt that it was a choice that was forced on her. She was convinced Alfonso would not have willingly created this conflict. More than anything, this convinced her that she had chosen right.

/

Cesare entered the dining room with a dark look on his face, pointed directly at Sancia. Lucrezia felt she was missing something and looked at Alfonso, trying to guess what was happening. His face, however, was wearing his usual casual smirky mask, although he did look slightly tense.

Sancia's look of defiance did not bode well.

"I hear our nice Burgundian squire won the duel today." She said with an arrogant tone. "Is that not great news, my dear husband?"

Gioffre just nodded, obviously not entirely comfortable with picking a side.

"In honor of his victory, I have decided that all my squires will wear the cross of St Andrew on their livery tomorrow." She grinned.

Cesare did not say anything – he just sat down and ate his meal. However, Lucrezia could tell that he was furious.

"What has just happened?" She asked Alfonso as soon as they reached their quarters.

Alfonso replied in a low tone of voice:

"A Burgundian squire challenged a French one to a duel this morning. Cesare offered him a great deal of money to give it up and he wouldn't. Now the Burgundian squire has won."

"Why is this such a big deal? Squires duel all the time."

"Cesare does not want to lose King Louis' good faith. A small duel such as this one has led to wars before. He had all the interest to avoid conflict."

"…then why is Sancia making such a big deal out of this? Shouldn't we save our energy for bigger battles? Must we poke and annoy now with such insignificant issues?"

"You may not be aware of this, my love, but your Father has just annulled my sister's marriage to the King of Hungary."

"Your sister…" she replied confused.

"My sister, Beatrice. She is much older than I and I do not even remember ever meeting her. She was the wife of King Matthias and then the wife of his successor, King Ladislaus. They had no offspring and the king has requested an annulment seven years ago, based on the fact that he appears to have been betrothed to someone else before marrying her. There has been an entire commission investigating this issue for the last seven years. Your father has granted the annulment. Yesterday."

Alfonso sat on the bed.

"Also for the last few days, your father has slowly been confiscating the assets of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza."

"What does this mean, Alfonso?"

He sighed.

"It means your father has made his choice, my love, and it wasn't us."

For the first time in her life, Lucrezia felt like fainting.

"You must be wrong! He would never openly go against me and my husband!" She fell on her knees before him.

He slowly took her face between his hands. The look in his eyes was sad, a sadness that she had never seen in him. He looked almost defeated.

"He will never go against you, Lucrezia. You and your son are safe. But Milan has fallen and your father and brother are going to assist the king of France march for Naples."

"But by doing so, he is going against me and my son. Naples is Rodrigo's inheritance! If the king of France conquers Naples…"

"By the time our son is old enough to be aware of these things and to be able to fight for his rights, the situation may be entirely different. It could also be that your father will keep our son as a guarantee of King Louis' good behavior. The way things are changing, you never know…"

"Let us run back to Naples. The King of Aragon's armies and your armies, all combined together, will defeat the French and whoever else is coming with them. Let us fight!"

He threw her a tired look and then laid himself on the bed.

"We will start preparing to leave back to Naples." He whispered. But his whisper was nothing like the strong, obnoxious bullying he was known for. Lucrezia fell next to him, horrified.

She could not sleep all night. She sat and watched his troubled sleep instead.

/

The Pope did not react favorably to his daughter and son-in-law announcing their intention to leave back to Naples.

"I apologize, Holy Father" Alfonso said with as much calm as possible. "I am sure you understand that my kingdom needs me just as much as Rome needs you."

"You have people to handle your business. People you maintain constant contact with. We only have a few months in a year to spend with our daughter."

"The last time he left without me, all Italy was in talk of us. And you were correct in assuming that that did not make for a good reputation for me. You understand that I must follow my husband where he goes. And his duty calls that he returns to his Kingdom." Lucrezia added.

The Pope rose from the table in a sudden, annoyed move.

"Your arguments will not deter me from wanting to spend more time in your company, Lucrezia. I am a sixty-nine year old man and no-one expects me to live much longer. Forgive me for wanting to spend as much time as possible with the children I have left!"

A dark silence ensued at the table, in remembrance of Juan. Lucrezia's eyes shone with tears but she would not give in:

"Father, we have decided. We will start preparations and will leave in two weeks' time."

At the end of April, as Lucrezia and Alfonso were preparing to say their goodbyes, waiting for the Pope to give them one final blessing, when Gioffre came in a hurry:

"Lucrezia, father is ill."

Lucrezia threw a look at Alfonso.

"Well, we cannot go now" he shrugged.

/

It took almost a full month for the Pope to recover, a month in which the whole of Rome was filled with rumors of his death. Cesare's usually dark posture, darkened even more.

"Lucrezia, have you considered what will happen in the event of our father's demise?" he asked her in one of the few moments they had alone together.

"I prefer not to think of such things."

"But, Lucrezia, what he said a few weeks ago is correct. He is sixty-nine years old. Few people live to this age, let alone much longer than that. Provided he survives this illness, there will be another one after it. And another. What shall become of us then?"

"You are the Duke of Romagna and of Valentinois, Cesare. I am the Queen of Naples. Gioffre is prince of Squillace. I would say we are in a position to be hopeful of our future."

"But are you sure that these titles will be maintained once our father dies?"

"Whyever should they not?"

"Lucrezia, we are the children of the Pope of Rome, which is what has made us valuable. But this has made us valuable while the Pope of Rome is alive, to threaten with excommunications and such. As soon as the Pope is another, we are no longer children of the Pope of Rome. Our armies may choose to no longer follow us when the next Pope threatens with another excommunication. Our spouses may choose to discard us…"

She finally understood what he was getting at.

"Cesare, I do not know your wife and what feelings lay between the two of you. However, since she is expected to deliver your child any day now, I am sure she would not want to make her own child a bastard. As for my husband, I am sure he would never discard me."

He threw her a pointed look:

"Your husband is the King of Naples. As soon as you are no longer the Pope's daughter, you are nothing but the illegitimate daughter of a priest. Living in Rome, you have seen how marriages are made and unmade. Are you entirely sure he will not discard you in favor of a considerably more advantageous and permanent alliance?"

"My marriage to my husband is based on more than just an advantageous alliance."

"Why? Because he whispers sweet nothings and words of love in private?"

Lucrezia faltered only for a second. Alfonso had never been the type to whisper sweet nothings and words of love. Yet he had his own way of showing his true feelings and she was much surer of them this way, than if he had.

"Lucrezia, listen to the words of reason. All kings have mistresses to love and wives to sign alliances with. This is how marriage works in the world of royalty. Depending on who the next Pope is, you may either be unimportant, or even a defiance against the Papacy, if one like Cardinal Della Rovere is elected. Neither one of those positions will help Naples, which is already in a very fragile position."

"I do not know where you wish to go with this, but I refuse to listen…" She started to leave when Cesare grabbed her arm.

"You know perfectly well where I am going with this, Lucrezia. We are your family. The Borgias are your family. We are the only ones who will stand by you when you are no longer the Pope's daughter."

"My husband will stand by me, Cesare. Mark my words. He will stand by me."

She forced her arm out of his grasp and ran.

/

When the Pope recovered from his illness, Lucrezia and Alfonso once again made preparations to leave.

With only a few days left before going back to Naples, however, Lucrezia received Sancia's distressed visit:

"Lucrezia! Come quickly! Alfonso…"

Her breath stopped.

"He was attacked."


End file.
